About Our Preschool

Preschool student at Gilbert High TOYBOX

About GPS Preschool Programs

At Gilbert Public Schools we offer a range of preschool programs where young children learn social skills in real time, in a supportive environment, surrounded by qualified staff. At GPS we believe that high-quality preschool programs nurture warm relationships among children, teachers, and parents. All GPS preschool programs are aligned to the Arizona Department of Education Early Learning Standards.

Explore the variety of GPS Preschool Programs which all offer flexibility, choice, affordability, and fun for your child!

Registration for the 2024-2025 school year is open where space is available. Preschool registration for the 2025-2026 school year will open on December 2, 2024.

Harris Advantage Preschool

Advantage

A guided play program aligned with the Arizona Department of Education Early Learning Standards with a focus on critical thinking skills and social-emotional development.

Ages: 3 - 5 years old

School Day: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
AM: 8:00 am - 10:30 am
PM: 11:15 pm - 1:45 pm

Contact Us

Gilbert Public Schools Preschool Office

480-497-3461

Email Us

Schedule a Preschool Campus Tour

All Gilbert Public Schools Preschools

Preschool Parent Handbook

Advantage Preschool Screening and Evaluation Process Information

Advantage

This guided play program is aligned with the Arizona Department of Education Early Learning Standards, with a focus on critical thinking skills and social/emotional development. Thematic units are explored by students using a variety of learning styles and modalities, which, in turn, ignites curiosity and encourages sustained attention. The program is supplemented by using Handwriting without Tears and Creative Curriculum, intentional learning materials. Typically, developing peers and those with developmental delays work together and grow in one inclusive environment. Instruction is individualized based upon ongoing progress monitoring (Teaching Strategies GOLD) so the teacher knows what a child knows and what they are ready to learn next. GOLD is an authentic, ongoing observational system for assessing children from birth through Kindergarten. It helps teachers observe children in the context of everyday experiences, which is an effective way to learn what they know and can do.

Enroll Now for Advantage

Information on the Child Find Screening and Evaluation Process

Why Advantage?

Advantage Preschool provides opportunities for your child to:

Develop an enjoyment for learning
Explore and investigate for deeper knowledge
Develop problem-solving skills
Receive instruction from a certified teacher with the assistance of trained paraprofessionals
Build friendships with a variety of peers
Develop creativity
Learn how to be part of a classroom community
Receive individualized instruction informed by rigorous ongoing progress monitoring data analysis
Build social-emotional competence
Build communication skills
Develop fine and gross motor physical skills
Develop pre-academic knowledge and skills
Engage in purposeful and productive play experiences that foster memory development, symbolic thinking, positive approaches to learning, positive social and language skills, math skills, and self-regulation instruction.
The Handwriting Without Tears® curriculum draws from years of innovation and research to provide developmentally appropriate, multi-sensory tools and strategies for your classroom. The program follows research that demonstrates children learn more effectively by actively doing, with materials that address all styles of learning.

The Creative Curriculum for Preschool is based on five fundamental principles. They guide practice and help us understand the reasons for intentionally setting up and operating preschool programs in particular ways.

Positive interactions and relationships with adults provide a critical foundation for successful learning
Social-emotional competence is a significant factor in school success.
Constructive, purposeful play supports essential learning.
The physical environment affects the type and quality of learning interactions.
Teacher–family partnerships promote development and learning.
Our instruction is aligned to the Arizona Early Learning State Standards developed by the Arizona Department of Education.

Integrated SPICE

Integrated SPICE is a blended program with all students learning and growing in one inclusive environment. Every child can feel valued for their unique contributions and have a sense of belonging. This program will have a maximum of 12 children and will consist of 50% of the students receiving special education support for their individual needs associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and 50% typically developing peer role models. This model is designed to promote social interactions and to develop communication skills using peer modeling and intentional, systematic, and individualized intervention.

This program is located at Canyon Rim Elementary and Finley Farms Elementary. For the Integrated SPICE program, the tuition is reduced to $100.00 per month.

Tuition & Registration

Tuition Options

Registration Fee: $50.00/year

Tuition is $240 each month for 3 days per week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday), 2 ½ hours per day
Tuition is $285 each month for 4 days per week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday), 2 ½ hours per day
Integrated SPICE tuition is $100 each month for 4 days per week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday), 2 ½ hours per day

2024-2025 School Year:

For registrations prior to or on June 30, 2024, a $100 security deposit and $50 registration fee will be collected at the time of registration with the remaining tuition balance due by July 22, 2024. Both security deposit and registration fee are non-refundable.

For registration on or after July 1, 2024, the registration fee and 1st-month tuition are due at the time of registration and are both non-refundable.

Inquire

Online Enrollment

Online Enrollment Steps

Registration, Payment, & Annual Update Information

The Gilbert Public Schools District requires online registration for each new preschool student in addition to the Eleyo preschool registration for tuition students. Returning students will complete an Annual Update when requested by their campus. This assures that the information in the district system stays up-to-date for emergency contacts. The district online registration for your preschooler must be completed prior to your child attending.

If you have not already completed this enrollment, please go to www.gilbertschools.net/enroll and enter your preschooler as an enrolling student (do not list them as a non-school age sibling). Select GPS Holding as your campus when prompted. Please note: If you have other children enrolled in GPS you may complete the district registration through your Parent Portal. Login to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal, choose More from the list on the left, then choose Online Registration. You may then add your preschooler as an enrolling student there.

You will then go to the campus to finalize registration. You must provide the child's original birth certificate, proof of residency (gas, water or electric bill in parents name), immunizations and your ID prior to your child attending class. Please do this as soon as possible after tuition registration has been approved. Do not wait for a call from the campus.

Eligibility Requirements

KPrep and Building Blocks 4's age 4-5 Must be 4 by August 31, for the school year registering for.
Advantage, TOYBOX and Building Blocks 3's are 3 by August 31st for tuition students and students may not start until on or after their third birthday.

Toilet Trained - All students must be completely independent in toileting; to be considered completely independent in toileting, a child must be able to do ALL of the following:

Are able to communicate the need to go to the toilet; including but not limited to, demonstrating control over going if they must wait for someone who is in the bathroom or if away from the bathroom
Can independently pull down their underwear and pants and pull them back up when done. This includes clothing with belts, buttons, zippers etc., if worn to school
Can independently clean their bottoms after using the toilet
Get on and off the toilet by themselves
Wash and dry their hands by themselves
Disposable training pants (i.e. Pull-ups) are not permitted per AZDHS Licensing

Parent Handbooks

Screening Information

Screening: Early Intervention & Developmental Delays Information

Gilbert Public Schools provides early intervention/special education services to 3 to 5-year-old children with qualifying developmental delays in the following areas: motor, social, speech/language, cognitive or adaptive behavior development. Eligibility is determined through formal assessment procedures.

Many articulation errors could be developmentally appropriate for preschoolers.

Click here to see which sounds are expected to be mastered by the end of each year of age.

Advantage Preschool Screening and Evaluation Process Information

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Special Education Preschool Eligibility Process (Child Find)

If you are concerned with your child's development and live within the Gilbert Public School boundaries, we offer free screenings, by appointment only.

To begin the referral process, you will need to:

Complete an Infinite Campus registration for the 2024 year, choosing Advantage Preschool as the enrollment grade.

Infinite Campus: New Family Registration | Existing GPS Family Registration or www.gilbertschools.net/enroll

Please Note: Enter the child during the online enrollment as an "enrolling student" , "GPS Holding" as the campus and "Requesting Child Find Screening" on the New/Returning drop down menu.

For help with an existing Infinite Campus account, click here If you have created a profile previously but never created your Parent Portal access, you will need to follow the instructions on the help page to activate your Parent Portal, then complete the registration via your Parent Portal.

Upload your child’s birth certificate and your proof of residency during the Infinite Campus Registration.
- PROOF OF RESIDENCY MUST BE A CURRENT LEASE, GAS, WATER, OR ELECTRIC BILL IN A PARENT'S NAME (If utilities are not in a parent's name it must be one of these items attached to the house address along with a notarized letter from the person named on the document stating that your child lives at the said address) This is required before proceeding in the testing process.
If there are any court orders or custody papers pertaining to this child, bring the documents to the screening/evaluation so they may be included in the file.

If screening results indicate the need for an evaluation, the district will conduct the evaluation (screening location map). Weekly Child Find screenings are held by appointment only.

If the student is determined eligible under the Arizona Department of Education guidelines, an IEP is developed and the student will be offered services to address the student's needs.

Transfer Students: If your child has been evaluated by another school district, and has a current or expired IEP/MET, please complete the Infinite Campus registration, choosing Advantage Preschool as the enrollment grade and contact darla.wilson@gilbertschools.net to obtain additional transfer student information. You will need to send in your child’s original evaluation report and their most recent IEP.

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